Ball-bearing.



H. LA CASSE.

BALL BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED MAJLzs, 1904.

982, 1 44. Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. LA CASSE.

BALL BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED MAE. 2s, 1904.

Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

given tot lu-wu.. @5mm l'l'oz-nel 15 spect to such surfaces.

40 other.

' spee' s 'and high pressures.

55 reduced fand the life of ithe ball great y 'HNBY l'LA CASSE, 0F A'B'U'NfNW YORK.

BALL-BEARING.

` ySpecification of Ltts Patent.

-Appneaon medirarehfzs, 1904. seran-No. 200,225.

To -'all 'whom it concern:

Be it `known that I, HENRY LA Casse, a citi-zen of the United States, and 'resident :of i Auburn, in the lcounty of Cayuga and State] lof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in. Ball-Bearings, off 'which the following i-s a -speci-iication.

This invention relates to improvements in ball bearings and particularly to ball bearings pf that type in which the balls and their bearings are so \combined as to permit the. balls to-revolve freely between the bearing surfaces with which they are in contact Withi out having any sliding movement with re- As to one of the features thereof, my 'pres- 'entinventi'on is in the nature of -a-n improvement upon that shown, Idescribed and claimed Patent No. 518,321, granted to me April 17,1894. In that ,patent there is 'illustrated 'an antifri'ctioh ball bearing having the gen- 'eral characteristics just mentioned, that is t'o say,I a bearing in which the balls and bearing sur'aces are so combined that the balls revolve freely on such bearing surfaces without sliding. In my prior patent this ree; su-lt 'was accomplished by providing bearing faces whichmade Icontact with the balls at points in the face of a single imaginary cone having its vertex in the common axis of the bearing members between which the balls were located. This construction provided a fourepoin't bearing for each ball, but the 'points .atwhich the balls were supported, or

made contact with,l one bearing member,

were directly 4opposite corresponding 'points of contact in the other bearing member, the four bearing points of the balls thus `being located in two planes parallel with leach It has been found in practice that such a bearing permits perfect rolling of the Aballs in the manner just described without sliding on the bearing surfaces in which they make Contact; but it is well known that balls are not made which will withstand as high pressures as the bearing surfaces or ball races with which they make Contact, and it has been -f'ound that even the best of balls, r'olling in the 'mest perfect manner and not sliding at all with respect to the faces of the bearing members or ball races, tend to, and do, 'elon ate somewhat when working at eXtreme I have also found that this tendency may be very 'reatly prolonged by so combining the balls and their 1' cofperative bearing surfaces fas to increase the number of planes in which the bearing point-s of the balls are located, and this I do by so constructing the bearing 'surfaces or ball races of the bearing members that the points at which each ball makes Contact with i suclrbearing faces are in the faces of two imaginary cones having a common vertex in the common axis about which one of the bearing members rotates relatively to the other. As to another feature thereof, my present invention has for its object the increase in 'the capacity of :ball-bearings in genera-l, an'd of that type in particular which is shown There iS a limit to' 4in said prior patent. the work which is capable of being done 'by 'any given ball bearing, and especially to the 'speed at which one bearing member is capable of rotating on -a circuit of balls rolling between it and a 'cOper-ative bearing Ine'iber without sliding Contact between the bearing surfaces. Because "of this it hasbeen impossible heretofore to operate ball bearings at the highest speeds and maintain the propfer'rollingl action of the lballs. I have found-,hewever, that the highest speeds'may be attained with properly rolling balls by providing a multiple h rnstebearing having a plurality Aof 'circuits 'of balls and dividing the work to be done in vsuch 'a manner that each circuit will do a p'art only Iof the Work,

and the lrelative movementbetween the bears.

ing vsurfaces in contact with the ballsjof 'the' circuit will be well within the limit of speed thereof, Ithe sum -of these relative movements, however, being far beyond the limitfof a single ball bearing, that' is, a bearing hav= in'g a single circuit of balls, andrepresenting the highest attainable or desiredspeed. This result I accomplish by providing 'a multiple thrust-bearing in which three l0r more bearinof` members are separated by circuits of balls, two 'or in'or'e 'of these befariii'gf members being rotatable on thesev balls at different speeds with respect tothe only 'Patented Aug. '24, '11909.

other bearing member 'of the series when the bearin' is under the influence of an ap; plied s ee which exceeds 'the capacity of 'a sin' le "all bearing.

'ther features of my invention ndt here; inbefore referred t'o will be he reinaftermde-v scribed and claimed 'and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whiche LFigure l is a central longitudinal`4 section of 'a vertical thrust-bearing illustrating oh embodiment of the various features of my present invention. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the same illustrating the theory` of the rolling movements of the balls and .the balancing of certain thrusts in said bearing.

Similar characters designate like parts in the different figures of the drawings.

While I have illustrated herein a vertical thrust-bearing my invention is not, as to any of the features thereof, limited to such a type of bearing, nor is it, as to the first feature thereof hereinbefore referred to, l-imited to a multiple thrust-bearing, butas to such feature is embodied in any single ball bearing having the characteristics hereinbefore mentioned and which will be hereinafter set forth'in detail, said' multiple thrustbearing being illustrated because it shows certain specific subject matter to be claimed in addition to the principal generic features of the invention.

For the purpose of setting forth clearly the essential features of a single ball bearing embodying the'principal points of advan tage of vsuch bearing as compared with the bearing shown in my aforesaid prior patent, a single element of the multiple bearing shown will first be described. As a matter of convenience the first element of the multiple bearing will be considered. vThis element or single ball bearing embodies two bearing members with an interposed circuit or row of balls. The bearing members of this rst set are designated respectively by l and 3, and the balls byv 2. These two bear\ ing members, as shown, are superposed and are mounted about a common axis which in the present case is in a shaft 10 to whichv the bearing member 1 is secured, so as to be fixed with respect thereto while capable of' rotating relatively to the second bearing' member 3. The bearing faces of the bearing members 1 and 3 may be formed in any suitable manner, preferably by grooving the faces `of the bearing members, as shown at 12 and 13, to form ball races which are adapted to make contact with the balls 2 at' points in the faces of twg imaginary cones which have their common vertex in the common axis 10 of the bearing members 1 and 3. This common axis of the two imaginary cones is indicated at 15, and the faces of such cones are shown by the lines 16 and 17; These cones preferably have not only a common vertex in the axis 10, which vertex is indicated'at 18, but they also have a common longitudinal axis,l and this axis in the construction shown is perpendicular to the axis 10. For this reason thebases of these imaginary cones, which bases are indicated in contact with such bearing face or faces, so that each ball will roll in contact with such bearing face or faces, in the same manner as would a conical bearing member'having a conical face such as is indicated by either of the lines 16 and 17 representing the imagi-l nary cones. Each ball should roll in contact with at least two bearing faces in one `of the bearing members, and preferably will roll in contact with two bearing faces in each bearing member, and these bearing faces will be located in more than two planes passing through the axis of the imaginary cone, said points in the construction illustrated being located in four parallel planes.

Referring more particularly to F ig'1 2,- the bearing points or surfaces of the bearing member 1 with which each ball 2 makes contact are designated respectively 25 and 26 and the points or faces of the bearing member 3.with which said'ball makes contactare designated respectively 27 and 28, the planes in which these four points of the ball bearing are located with respect to the axis 15 of the two imaginary cones being designated by the numerals 20, 21, 20 and 21. From this view it will be clear that there are no bearing points in the bearing member 3 corresponding to the bearing points 25 and 26 of the bearing member 1, as is the case in my aforesaid patent, and also that there are no bearing points in the bearingmember 1 corresponding to the bearing points 27 and 28 of the bearing member 3, but that the four bearing points for each ball are all located in different planes though, as in my aforesaid patent, each is in the face of an imaginary cone the Vertex of which is in the axis 10 of the bearing. By combining the balls and the contacting faces or points of the b earing members in this manner the ball is supported in a greater number of parallel planes than in my aforesaid patent and the thrust of the load is distributed over a greater' area by being applied at four bearing p oints located in the faces of two imaginary cones.

In order to obtain the most perfect rolling action, the points of Contact of each ball should be in arcs tangent to the lines or arcs defining the coacting bearing faces of the bearing members, as illustrated in Fig. 2, ,from which it will be seen that the bearing faces of the grooves or ball-races 12 and 13 are defined by arcs such as 30, all of which are tangent to the circumference of the ball. This construction also has the advantage, as does that illustrated in my aforesaid patent, of opposing the outward thrust exerted on each ball at 'one contact face of abearing member by an inward thrust at the other contact point of said bearing member, these two thrusts being substantially radial for each bearing, as indicated by the radial lines, and equalized, for the purpose of centering the balls in the ball races under ,all conditions and in all positions vof the bearing.

Coming Anow to the consideration of the multiple-thrust bearing illustrated, it will be seen that I have shown a plurality of circuits of balls eoacting with corresponding bearing faces of bearing members exceeding5 of that for vthe next succeeding circuit..

Thus, the bearing `member 1 has a wide groove or ball-race in the under side thereof and the bearing member 3 has a narrow groove or ball-race in its upper side; while in the next succeeding elemept of the multiple bearing the upper bearing member has a narrow groove 13 in its under side and the lower bearing member 5v has a wide groove or ball-race 12 in its upper side. In a similar manner the groove or ball-race in the under side of the bearing member 5 is a wide groove 12 and the groove in the upper side of the next and final bearing member 7 of the series is ,a narrow groove 13, the disposition of the' wide and narrow Agrooves alter- Dating throughout the multiple bearing. It will be noticed that each of the bearing members except the first and last'has in this construction, which is the preferred one, bearing faces at opposite sides thereof, which bearing faces are similar, that is, the grooves or ballraces of each of these intermediate bearing members are like grooves; but the grooves of successive intermediate bearing members are dissimilar, the bearin member 3 having two narrow grooves and t e bearing member 5 having two wide grooves. All of these grooves are, however, preferably identical in function with the grooves' Vof the bearing members of the first element, which element has been fully'described.

The balls of the second and third circuits shown are designated by 4 and 6, to distinguish them from the balls of the first circuit, and one bearing member of each element of the multiple bearing is adapted to rotate relatively to its coacting bearing member. Here, the uppermost bearin member 1 is fixed with respect to the sha 10, and the \lowermost bearing member 7 is fixed with respect to a thrust memberor support 8 which is clear of the shaft 10, all of the bearing element-s or members except the first being also clear of said shaft, to permit the shaft to turn freely without making contact with any of said members. The construction just described is such as to permit the subdivision of the work done by thedilerent elements of the multiple thrust bearing in the following manner. f

I Assuming that the shaft 10 is rotated at a speed beyond the capacity of any single element of the multiple bearing, that is to say, beyond the capacity of any single circuit of balls to roll properly without sliding when the relative speed of one bearing member of such element of the multiple bearing is equal to the speed of said shaft," the rst bearing member 1 will turn with the shaft until the limit of its rotation relative to the bearing member 3 is about reached, when the bearing member 3 will also begin to turn, and when the bearing member 3 ha's reached the limit of its rotation relative to the bearing member 5, the latter will also begin to turn. Thus, for example, if the shaft l0 is to be revolved at the rate of 15,000Arevolutions per minute and the limit of speed for each single element of the multiple bearing is 5,000 revolutions, the bearing member 3. will begin to turn when the bearing member 1 has a movement relative thereto of 5,000

`revolutions per minute, and the bearing member 5 will beginto move when the bearing member 3 has a movement of 5,000 revolutions per minute relativeto the member 5,

at which time the bearing member 1 willv have a movement of 10,000 revolutions per 'minute relative to the member 5. The bearing member 5 will be speded up until it reaches the limit of its movement, viz., 5,000 revolutions per minute relative to the fixed bearing member 7, at which time the bearin-g lmember 3 will be traveling at the rate of 10,000 revolutions and the bearing member 1 at the rate of 15,000 `revolutions per minute. It will be clear, however, that the'speed of the shaft is so distributed by the three elements or bearin s of this multiple thrustbearing that no e .ement has a relative movement of more than 5,000 revolutions. Thus, each element of the multiple-thrust bearing is not taxed beyond its capacity, but instead,

each lower element or individual bearing of' the multiple thrust-bearing yields under the iniiuence of a speed and thrust exceeding the capacity of the row of balls above it and begins toturn, the relative movements of `the lowermost elements of the multiple thrust-bearin varying in accordance with the s eed of t e shaft. t

Ali iof the elements of my improved multiple thrust-bearing will maintain the. positions shown when traveling at the h lghest speeds. I prefer, however, to provlde 1n connection therewith ball-retaining means, such as the casing or sleeve 40, which is secured to one of the bearing members, preferably thebearingmember 7, and is so constructed as to hold all of said members together endwise. 'Here the lowermost member 7 has a peripheral groove 7 into which the sleeve 40 is spun for the purpose of lockt its upper end this sleeve has an lnturned flange 451 coing these two parts together.

acting with a beveled face l of the member l to hold the parts of the multiple bearing together. All of the bearing members except the lowermost one 7 are clear of the retaining-sleeve 40, and hence are free to turn relatively thereto and to one another, said sleeve serving however as the retaining means and also as the means for excluding dirt and other foreign substances from the bearing. All of the relatively movable bearing members or rings are self-adjusting with respect to the balls, and the thrust applied to the bearing tends to force the various parts more firmly into the position shown and maintain them therein.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with opposed bearing members having a common axis of rotation about which one member is rotatable relative to the other, a circuit of balls between said members, one member having bearing por tions which contact with said balls along the faceL of an ima inary cone, and the other member having earing portions which contact with said balls alon the face of a second imaginary cone, sai cones having different angles at a common vertex.

2. The combination with opposed bearing members having a common axis o f rotation about which one member is rotatable relative to the other, a circuit of balls between said members, one member having bearing portions which contact with saidtballs along the face of an ima inary cone, and the other member having earing portions which contact with said balls along the face of a second imaginary cone within said first-mentioned imaginary cone, said cones having different angles at a common vertex.

3. In a ball-bearing and in combination, a bearing member having bearing portions lying in dierent planes relative to each other, ia second bearing member having bearing portions lying in different planes relative to each other and to the bearing Dportions of said first named bearing members, a circuit of balls interposed between said bearing members and contacting with said bearing portions, in the faces of two imaginary cones having different angles at a common vertex. y

4. In a ball-bearing and in combination,

opposed bearing members having a plurality of bearin portions, each of said portions lying in a different plane relative to the others, and balls interposed between Said members and contacting with said bearing portions in the faces of imaginary cones having different angles at a common vertex.

5. fil a. ball-bearing and in combination, opposed bearing members having bearing portions, the bearing` portions of one member lying within the bearing portions of the different planes, and .balls interposed bef tween said members and contacting `with said bearing portions in the faces of two imaginary cones having a common vertex.

7. In a ball bearing, a support, a rotatable shaft, a collar surrounding and rigid with the shaft and having a beveled outer edge, a collarsurrounding the shaft and rigid with the support and of greater diameter than the collar rigid with the shaft, a

collar surrounding the shaft and between and free from the two fixed collars, said collars provided with inner and outer annular bosses defining curved ball races in all the collars, said inner bosses spaced at less distance than the outer bosses, and balls of reater radius than the curvature of the gall races disposed within said races and to space the collars and a sleeve embracing the several collars and rigid at one end with the collar rigid with the support, and having at the other end an inturned fiane embracin and spaced from the beveled si e of the co lar rigid with the shaft.

Signed at Auburn in the county of Cayuga and State of New York this first day of February A. D. 1904. r

HENRY LA` CASSE. Witnesses:

A. L. HEMINGWAY, RAY P. MEAKER. 

